The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-01-15
FHELOST DIAMONDS SNUFF BOX.

LIE LOSI IDlAMONDSNuFF BOX
The grand old kingdom of Eng
iand, IN the course of mossy centuries
9'9u can count over its head, has had
~ Times of gloom and depression al
stahgers that looked near, and its
mes OF shouting and rejoicing ovei
aangers its brave men had driven
|sa~ay out of sight again.
Dne Of the deepest seasons of gloom
Was wiIfn the French Emperor, Ma.
lV'eom had conquered one country
aIfer ahnther. until therewas scarcely
anythitig but EnglanI left to attack
ana one OF the prOuaest times of re-.
j4itInsSEwas when the ."Iton Duke
WPiiipgton, and the bluff old PruS-
san, Blucher, met him at Waterloo,
isefpated his armies and drove him
IRON the field. There were bonfires
s{f s{es ndingiugs then, and from that day
INWARD England loved aud cherish.
zee every nan who had fought ai
| Mterloo-frOm the Iron Duke him.
sch down to the pIainest private,
eVer one was a hero and Il veteran.
lime Of the humblest cottages OF
la prod nobleman's estate, a low,
"hlteTashed cottage, one of these
veteran lived not so many years
ago. II had fought by his flag in
ore OF te most gallant regiments
until the lst hour Of the battle, ana
then had falen disabled from active
service for he rest Of his life.
That did lot seem to he of so very
great conscience, though, Just now ;
for peace reisned in the land, ana
with his wifi, and two heautiiui
daughters to lore, his battles to think
over. and his pension to provide the
bread and coffee, the old soldier was
AS happy As the day was long. 1t
made no difference that the bread
and the coffee Were both black, and
the clothes of the veteran were coarse
and seldom new.
"Ho, Peggy !" he used to say to
MS wife. "my cloak is tineas the one
the Iron Duke wore when they carried
me past him just rs the French were
breaking and as for the bread, only
veteran knows how the recolectiMI
OF victory makes everylhin. taste
sweet -
But il seemed as if the old soldiers
iiie was going to prove like his share
"a that great day of Waterloo--a sue
cess and victory till the end had
heaflMcome, and then one shot after
'sRathet striking him with troubles
hecould never get over.
The first came in the midst of the
beautiful summer days, when the
be,s droned through the delicious air,
the rose-bush was in bloom. and the
old soldier sat in the cottage door
reveling in it all. A slow, mercile>S
fever rose up through the soft air-it
did not venture near the high ground
where the castle stood, but it crept
noiselessly into the whiteWashel cot
tage, one night, and the soldiers two
daug hter's were stricken down. This
was the beginning of terrible trouble
to the veteran of Waterloo. Not that
he minded watching, for he was used
to standing sentry all night, and as
far nursing, he had seen plenty of the
hospital; but to see his daughters
suffering-that WAS what he could
not bear!
And worst of all, between medi-
cines and necessaries for the sick, the
three months pension was quite used
up. and when the old soldiers nurs-
ing had pulled through the fiercenesS
of the fever, there was nothing but
black bread left in the house-and
black bread was almost the same as
no bread at all to the dainty appe.
tites the fever had left and that was
what he had to think of. and think
of, As he sat in the cottage door.
"Bah !" said the old soldier, with
something more like grOan than
was ever heard from him while his
wounds were being dressed, 81 could
face all the armies of Napoleon better
than this !"
And he sat more and more in the
cottage door, rs if that could leave
the trouble behind but it stood star
ing before him, all the same, till il
almost shut the roSebu|h and the
bees out Of sight. But one morning
a tremendous surprise came tO him
like fash out Of the sky He heard
the sound of galloping troops, and
he picked up his ears, for that always
made him think of a cavalry charge.
"Who goes there ?" he cried but
without answering his challenge the